Podcasts about munaf manji

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Wednesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Tuesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji talks betting for Friday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji talks betting for Wednesday. Munaf Manji hosts a solo edition of Cash That Ticket on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, working through a loaded sports night that includes Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals and a six-game MLB Wednesday slate packed with elite starting pitching matchups. Co-host Dave Essler sent in detailed pregame notes that Munaf reads and builds upon throughout the episode, producing a collaborative breakdown even without Dave in the booth. The show opens with a recap of Tuesday, where the under in the first five innings of the Brewers and Giants game cashed behind Kyle Harrison's career-high 12-strikeout performance for Milwaukee, though the Cubs team total over did not survive Chicago's one-run first inning and subsequent silence. The show stands three and one on best bets for the month of June. On the NBA Finals, Munaf discusses tonight's Game 1 in San Antonio with the Spurs as four-and-a-half point home favorites over the Knicks at a total of 218.5. Rather than chasing the historical Game 1 under trend, he prefers the second half over around 105.5, reasoning that first-game rust and jitters will suppress scoring early before both teams open up. The Knicks arrive with eight days of rest following their sweep of Cleveland while the Spurs are three days removed from a Game 7 win over Oklahoma City that was aided by the injury absences of Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell. Munaf singles out OG Anunoby as his Game 1 player prop, taking him over 15.5 points at minus 115 on DraftKings, and identifies Dylan Harper as the Spurs' most critical secondary contributor beyond Victor Wembanyama. Stephon Castle's ability to contain Jalen Brunson and Landry Shamet's timely three-point shooting off the Knicks bench are highlighted as key series variables to watch. On the MLB side, the episode covers six matchups in detail. In Philadelphia, Christopher Sanchez continues his Cy Young-caliber run against Walker Buehler and the Padres, with both Munaf and Dave aligning on the first five innings under and the Phillies run line. At Fenway, Chris Bassett's brutal road splits, including an 8.02 ERA in five away starts, make the Red Sox team total over in the first five innings an attractive play at minus 110 on DraftKings. In New York, Gerrit Cole's third start back from Tommy John surgery against Gavin Williams and the Guardians produces Munaf's official best bet of the night, the Yankees first five innings run line at minus half a run, plus 115 on Bet Online, backed by Cole's 13-3 career record against Cleveland and his flawless return. In Cincinnati, Chase Burns at 7-1 with a 1.96 ERA takes on Stephen Kolek and the Royals, with Munaf structuring a synthetic minus-one play by splitting units across the moneyline and run line. In Atlanta, the Braves run line against Patrick Corbin and the Blue Jays is the clear lean given Atlanta's consistent dominance against left-handed pitching and their habit of winning at home by multiple runs. The episode closes with the Pirates and Astros game featuring Paul Skenes against Spencer Arrighetti, which both Munaf and Dave agree is the best pitching matchup on the slate and produces Uncle Dave's official best bet, the first five innings under four. Use promo code CFL20 at Pregame.com for $20 off any package, including seven-day all-access packages currently priced at $79 after the code is applied. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Tuesday. Munaf Manji and Uncle Diamond Dave Essler are back on the Straight Outta Vegas AM feed for a stacked Tuesday edition of Cash That Ticket, opening the show with a clean Monday sweep before diving into what may have been the single most active day in NFL offseason history. The guys run the numbers first: May closed at 17-16-2 and down 1.77 units, a modest dip by the pod's own high standards, but the cumulative record now sits at 96-68-2 and plus 21.77 units since launch, with three-star plays running at an 8-2 clip, and Monday's sweep only added to the momentum heading into June. From there, the conversation shifts to the Myles Garrett trade, with Cleveland sending the two-time Defensive Player of the Year and all-time single-season sack record holder to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2029 third-round pick. Munaf walks through a full market breakdown, noting the Rams moved to 6-to-1 favorites at DraftKings, with their NFC odds shifting from plus-390 to plus-310 and their NFC West line dropping from plus-140 to plus-105. Dave offers the more measured take, calling it a fair deal for both franchises while pointing to the AFC North adjustment as the more actionable angle for bettors, since the Rams were already favorites and the division rivals who no longer face Garrett every year are the ones who quietly got better. The second trade brings AJ Brown from Philadelphia to New England in exchange for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick, reuniting Brown with head coach Mike Vrabel after a well-documented split from the Eagles, and giving Drake Maye a legitimate downfield threat in New England. Dave, a Patriots fan, acknowledges the upgrade while tempering Super Bowl expectations given a difficult 2026 schedule. The main event of the episode is the full NBA Finals series preview ahead of Wednesday's Game 1 tip in San Antonio, where the Spurs enter as minus-205 favorites but the Knicks arrive on an 11-game winning streak with eight days of rest and a road record in the playoffs that no team has matched, six wins all by double digits. Dave goes Knicks in Game 1 at plus four and a half, highlighting the rest edge and wondering aloud whether the Spurs left their best collective effort in the OKC series, while also crediting the Towns-Wembanyama matchup as a more complicated problem for San Antonio than the Holmgren dynamic in the conference finals. Munaf takes the Knicks to win the series outright at plus-170, citing the collective offense, the defensive versatility of players like Anunoby, Bridges, and Hart, and a road dominance that has been consistent and convincing. Both hosts flag OG Anunoby at 40-to-1 and Towns at 20-to-1 for Finals MVP as market signals that the Knicks are being underpriced. The back half of the show covers the full Tuesday MLB card, with looks at Tigers-Rays, Padres-Phillies, Orioles-Red Sox, Guardians-Yankees, Blue Jays-Braves, Giants-Brewers, and Rangers-Cardinals, plus quick angles on the Dodgers-Diamondbacks, Royals-Reds, and Rockies-Angels. Best bets to close: Dave plays the Cubs team total over three and a half with Jameson Taillon facing Athletics rookie Gage Jump in just his second career start, Munaf backs the Giants-Brewers under four in the first five innings with Trevor McDonald and Kyle Harrison both lined up to pitch efficiently after Monday's 16-run blowout, and Dave adds the Royals as a live plus-105 underdog against Andrew Abbott and the Reds as a sharp bonus look. Use promo code NERD50 at pregame.com to get $50 off the Sports Nerd All Access to All-Star Break package and lock in every pick in every sport through mid-July for just $199. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Monday. It is June 1, 2026, and Munaf Manji and Uncle Diamond Dave Essler are back at the start of a new month with the full MLB Monday slate on the table and a perfect 2-0 best bet record from Thursday to carry into the week. The guys open with a quick but meaningful conversation about handicapping discipline, with Munaf explaining why he took Sunday off from posting plays rather than force something that was not there, and Dave backing the decision by making the case that this kind of restraint is exactly what winning long-term looks like and what clients are actually paying for when they subscribe. From there the full card gets the full treatment. Detroit heads to Tampa Bay with Ty Madden activated off the injured list to start or handle a bulk role against Griffin Jax, who has reinvented himself as a legitimate starter for the Rays with a 1.42 ERA in his recent stretch, and both hosts weigh a fade of the IL return against the case for the Tigers plus one and a half on the run line in a game the total projects for around eight. The Marlins take Sandy Alcántara to Washington, where Cade Cavalli gets the ball for the Nationals and both bullpens are identified as over-pushing threats in a park that has hit the over at nearly 68 percent in home games this season, leading Dave to his best bet of the episode, the Marlins team total over three and a half. In Milwaukee, Landen Roupp faces an opener-led Brewers lineup with Shane Drohan starting and Chad Patrick handling the bulk of the workload, and both hosts land on the under and the Giants run line in a low-total game where paying a big price on a three-inning pitcher does not make sense. David Sandlin faces the same Minnesota Twins club he dominated in his MLB debut five days earlier, retiring 18 straight after a leadoff homer, while Joe Ryan brings a solid recent stretch but a 4.42 home ERA into a spot where the White Sox first-five plus a half run gets the call. Jacob deGrom and Michael McGreevy headline the pitcher's duel of the night in St. Louis, where deGrom's 8.44 career ERA at Busch Stadium and McGreevy's 1.93 home ERA combine with both teams' shaky bullpens to make Munaf's official best bet an easy call: first-five-innings under four at minus-115, take the two starters and get out before the relief corps get involved. Kyle Freeland's ugly season numbers run into Freeland's strong career record against the Angels, while the market has already knocked the price down nearly 20 cents from its opening on José Soriano, with Munaf leaning Rockies plus one and a half and Dave going Angels team total over rather than lay the big number. Chase Burns has been one of the best pitchers in baseball in 2026, and his Cy Young-caliber season continues against Kansas City, where Luinder Avila is being asked to handle a starting role out of the bullpen and the sharp money that moved the price nearly 20 cents makes the Royals plus one and a half a reasonable market-following play. Eduardo Rodríguez is 5-1 with a 2.31 ERA but owns a troubling split against the Dodgers specifically at home in Arizona, where Emmet Sheehan brings the better underlying metrics despite a higher ERA, and both hosts elect patience, watching the early innings for a live entry rather than committing pre-game. The night closes in Seattle with Emerson Hancock against an Austin Warren opener for the Mets, where uncertainty about the Mets bullpen depth earns the game Munaf's official pass of the day and Dave identifies the first-five under as the cleanest available angle. Dave closes with a market call: home favorites went 11-1 on Sunday, and that kind of lopsided result historically corrects itself, making Monday a dog-day card where the plus-money side of the ledger deserves attention. New subscribers can get to pregame.com and use promo code NERD50 to take $50 off the all-access package, bringing the price to $199 through the MLB All-Star break and covering every pick Dave Essler, Munaf Manji, and the full Pregame Pros roster put out in every sport. NBA Finals preview is on deck for Tuesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Thursday. Munaf Manji and Uncle Diamond Dave Essler take on a focused Thursday card on Cash That Ticket, covering Game 6 of the NBA Western Conference Finals and three all-divisional MLB matchups on the Straight Outta Vegas AM feed. The Oklahoma City Thunder arrive in San Antonio holding a 3-2 series lead with Jalen Williams listed as questionable, Ajay Mitchell officially ruled out with a right soleus calf strain, and Thomas Sorber also unavailable, while the Spurs enter with a clean injury report for an elimination game at home. The Spurs open as 3.5-point favorites at a total of 219.5, and both hosts target the under as the primary play. Dave makes the case from Game 5 numbers he considers unsustainable, including OKC shooting 48 percent from three, 70 combined free throws, 26 Spurs fast break points, and 241 total points in a San Antonio loss. He expects the Spurs to slow the pace and play one possession at a time to force a Game 7, while also noting that eight of the last nine Spurs games went over yet this total is the highest they have faced in months. Munaf goes further by also laying the 3.5 points with San Antonio, using Game 4's 103-82 result as his stylistic template, and identifies the first half total of 106.5 as a secondary under spot. On props, Dave targets Stephon Castle at plus 116 for two or more threes made, backed by five-plus attempts in four of his last five games and a Thunder defensive focus on Wembanyama that consistently opens the perimeter for Castle. Munaf backs De'Aaron Fox rebounds plus assists over 9.5 on FanDuel after the number cashed easily in Game 5, and reads Wembanyama as more likely to impact the game through scoring than rebounding given OKC box-out adjustments over the last three games. The baseball card features three 6:35 to 6:40 Eastern divisional matchups. In Baltimore, Patrick Corbin faces Chris Bassitt, who takes on his former team at Camden Yards with a sharp home-road split showing a 3.46 ERA at home against an 8.02 on the road. Dave leans Toronto at the underdog price, while Munaf backs the Orioles and over 8.5, noting Pete Alonso as a home run prop candidate and Corbin's career struggles against Baltimore. In Pittsburgh, Paul Skenes draws the Cubs in a spot where the data runs against his reputation. In four home starts against Chicago, Skenes has never completed five innings, owns a 5.60 ERA, and has allowed 11 earned runs and five home runs in 17.1 innings against Cubs bats. Winds blow out at 13 miles per hour at PNC Park and both hosts back the over 7.5 with the Cubs first five innings money line as a supporting play. The rubber match between Houston and Texas closes the card with Spencer Arrighetti facing Nathan Eovaldi. These starters combined for more than 14 innings and zero runs when they each faced these same opponents roughly two weeks earlier. Dave makes the Astros first five innings plus 0.5 runs at minus 120 his official best bet, keeping Houston's struggling bullpen out of the equation while the half-run cushion protects a tie after five. Munaf takes the first five under, citing Eovaldi's streak of six-plus innings in five straight starts and a seven-inning Astros shutout on May 17th as reasons the total stays low early. Best bets for Thursday are the Astros first five plus 0.5 runs from Dave and Cubs-Pirates over 7.5 from Munaf. Use promo code NERD50 at pregame.com to save $50 on Munaf's Sports Nerd All Access to All Star Break package and get every pick across every sport through the MLB All Star break for $199, approximately 48 days of full coverage at the price of a standard 30-day subscription. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Wednesday. Munaf Manji and Uncle Diamond Dave Essler are back on the Straight Outta Vegas AM feed for a loaded Wednesday baseball card on Cash That Ticket, dated May 27, 2026, with the NBA on pause after the New York Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers out of the Eastern Conference Finals and left no playoff action on the schedule. Six MLB games get the full treatment, game by game, pitcher by pitcher, with best bets locked in at the end of the episode. The guys open with a quick Tuesday recap, noting the Brewers three-star loss after Milwaukee scored five of six runs in the wrong inning and the Yankees rocking chair win where the offense exploded for 24 hits and somewhere around 13 or 14 runs, with Munaf cashing his run line and Dave's first five surviving on the back of that first inning. Oklahoma City beat San Antonio 127 to 114, covered the number, and went over the total, now sitting one win away from back to back NBA Finals appearances. First game up is Tampa Bay at Baltimore, where Stephen Matz gets a bit of long overdue respect from the crew and both men land on the Rays team total over given Trey Gibson's limited major league track record and the uncertainty around his pitch count in what is essentially a spot start. The Angels and Tigers follow, and Munaf delivers Jose Soriano's road splits, which are hard to dismiss at a 1.14 ERA this season on the road and a career 2.86 ERA across 32 road starts. Detroit is one and nine in their last ten and carrying a minus 29 run differential, and the lean is first five Angels with an alternate run line as a bonus. Chicago heads to Pittsburgh for a Jameson Taillon and Bubba Chandler matchup, and Dave makes the contrarian call for the Cubs at plus odds, pointing to Chandler's 99-pitch, five-inning outing last start and a season ERA sitting near five as reasons the Pirates may not be the slam dunk many bettors will assume. Bryce Elder and Connelly Early face off at Fenway in a game the guys expect to produce runs, with Elder's 1.97 road ERA and Early's 4.43 ERA at home pointing toward the Braves team total over as the primary play. Gerrit Cole makes his second start since coming back from Tommy John surgery against Noah Cameron in Kansas City, and Munaf makes a data-driven case for the Yankees team total over four and a half at minus 130 based on Cameron's history against New York, where the Royals lefty has surrendered eleven earned runs and five home runs in fewer than nine career innings against this lineup. Jacob deGrom and Mike Burrows square off in Arlington for a Rangers and Astros matchup that Dave calls as the game total over seven and a half, with Burrows allowing eleven earned runs in his last two starts and deGrom pricing oddly low for a home favorite. The nightcap belongs to Shohei Ohtani on the mound for the Dodgers against Tomoyuki Sugano and Colorado, with Ohtani confirmed to pitch after exiting Tuesday's blowout win as a precaution following a hit by pitch on his right hand. Neither man wants to lay minus 411, and the Rockies first five innings under one and a half at minus 165 is the only angle worth touching at this price. Best bets close the show: Dave goes over seven and a half in Arlington, Munaf goes Yankees team total over four and a half minus 130. Pregame.com listeners can access Munaf's all access picks through the MLB All Star break for one hundred ninety nine dollars using promo code NERD50, which saves fifty dollars off the standard price and delivers forty nine days of every pick in every sport including games of the week, month, and year, with the offer good through June 8. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Tuesday. Munaf Manji and Uncle Diamond Dave Essler are back after a Memorial Day reset and come loaded for one of the busiest Tuesdays of the spring. The Knicks swept Cleveland and are heading to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, winning 11 straight in the postseason, but the real conversation is Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals where Oklahoma City hosts San Antonio with the series tied two games apiece. With Jalen Williams questionable and AJ Mitchell already ruled out for the Thunder, the market has slid from five and a half down to four and a half, and both hosts land squarely on the under, pointing to San Antonio's scoring trend through the series, OKC's need to slow the game down with a shorter bench, and the defensive intensity both teams have shown in every game after the first. Munaf drills into the second-half total as his preferred bet and flags De'Aaron Fox's rebounds-plus-assists at 9.5 on FanDuel as a prop worth targeting given what Fox has done in his two healthy games this series. From there the guys go deep on eight MLB games. Tampa Bay's Griffin Jax continues his surprising conversion from reliever to starter when the Rays visit Baltimore to face Shane Baz, a matchup that cuts both ways given each pitcher faced the other team in his immediately prior start. Spencer Strider returns to Fenway with Atlanta against Ranger Suarez and the Red Sox in a game both hosts think favors the Braves early and the over late once both bullpens get involved. Chase Burns takes a never-faced-the-Mets edge into Citi Field against David Peterson with Cincinnati firmly in the NL Central race. Cam Schlittler, who owns a 1.04 road ERA and a .139 opponent average on the road this season, faces Bailey Falter in Kansas City in what becomes Dave's best bet, Yankees first five minus a half run. Munaf's best bet is the Cardinals-Brewers under four and a half in the first five innings with Michael McGreevy and Kyle Harrison both in elite form and zero familiarity working in favor of either offense. Jason Alexander goes for Houston in Arlington the night after the Rangers threw a combined no-hitter, with both hosts liking the Texas team total over. Emerson Hancock and Luis Severino bring their home-road split drama to West Sacramento, and Eduardo Rodriguez faces Tyler Mahle at Oracle Park in an over-or-under debate shaped entirely by the park's dimensions and a 22-mile-per-hour wind blowing out. Use promo code PLAYOFFS20 at Pregame.com for 20 percent off any package before tonight's deadline. Early bird NFL packages are live and the Hall of Fame game is 72 days away. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji talks betting on Friday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Thursday. Munaf Manji and Uncle Diamond Dave Essler are back on the Straight Outta Vegas AM feed for a loaded Thursday edition of Cash That Ticket, coming off a perfect 2-and-0 best bet day and ready to attack one of the biggest nights on the spring sports calendar. The guys open with a full breakdown of Game 2 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, where the New York Knicks host the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden as six-and-a-half-point home favorites with a total of 216.5. Cleveland blew a 20-plus-point fourth-quarter lead in Game 1, shot just 40% from the field, got beaten 60-38 in the paint, and watched Donovan Mitchell disappear in overtime, and Uncle Dave makes a compelling case that the sharpest angle in this game is fading the Cavs team total rather than picking a side outright. The Knicks shot a combined 31% from three in Game 1 with every perimeter player ice cold, and positive regression to the mean makes the New York team total over an equally compelling play. Uncle Dave targets Karl-Anthony Towns PRA over 35 as his player prop, pointing to Jarrett Allen's inability to contain Towns and the near-certain shooting efficiency improvement from a 6-for-14 Game 1 outing. Munaf takes Donovan Mitchell over 27.5 points at minus-114 on DraftKings, citing Mitchell's hometown pride at MSG and his overtime disappearance as the motivational fuel for a bounceback performance. Both hosts like the Knicks side for the full game and first half. On the baseball side, Uncle Dave and Munaf work through all four evening games, hitting the Braves and Marlins total with Sandy Alcántara against Spencer Strider in Miami, the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium with Braydon Fisher as opener against a shaky Carlos Rodón, the Sacramento Athletics against José Soriano and the Angels in a high-pitch-count over environment, and Eduardo Rodríguez versus Zach Agnos in the desert with a big Arizona money line neither host wants to lay. Best bets close the show: Uncle Dave locks the Braves-Marlins over 7.5 on the strength of both teams' recent scoring history in this series and beyond, while Munaf pounds the Blue Jays team total over 3.5 at minus-120 on DraftKings against a Rodón who has walked eight batters in just eight innings this season. Use promo code PLAYOFFS20 at pregame.com for 20% off everything through May 31, and grab Munaf's three-star best bet on Knicks-Cavs Game 2 for just one dollar at pregame.com tonight. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Wednesday. Munaf Manji and Dave Essler return for a packed Wednesday edition of Cash that Ticket, opening with momentum after a two and one best bet day and quickly moving into the biggest betting angles on the board. The conversation starts with the dramatic Eastern Conference Finals opener, where the Knicks came back from 21 points down, forced overtime, got the cover, and helped the game clear the total. From there, the focus shifts to Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder, where San Antonio holds a 1 to 0 series lead after a double overtime road win. Dave makes the case that the matchup is more complicated than a simple Oklahoma City bounce back spot, noting that the Spurs won Game 1 despite turnover problems, poor outside shooting, and limited bench scoring. He points to the rebounding edge, the paint scoring edge, and the dominance of Victor Wembanyama as major reasons San Antonio can stay inside the number again. Munaf agrees with the Spurs side and highlights how San Antonio has the defensive profile to frustrate Oklahoma City, especially if Alex Caruso does not repeat his 31 point performance. The hosts also get into player props, with Dave liking Stephon Castle over his points number because of his aggression, free throw attempts, and room for better shooting, while Munaf looks toward Shai Gilgeous Alexander assists if the Spurs send extra defensive attention his way. The show then turns to Major League Baseball, beginning with Mets and Nationals, where Dave leans Mets first five behind Zach Thornton and against Zack Littell, while Munaf agrees that the early inning angle is cleaner than trusting the full game bullpen picture. Brewers and Cubs becomes one of the strongest discussions of the episode, with Kyle Harrison getting attention for his recent form and strikeout upside, and Wrigley Field weather creating a strong case for a low scoring game. Dave likes Brewers first five plus a half run, while Munaf later makes Brewers and Cubs under six and a half his official best bet, citing the wind blowing in, Harrison's pitching form, and the likelihood that Chicago's home run based offense is muted. Red Sox and Royals brings another shared lean, as Dave backs Michael Wacha and the under because of his control, Boston's limited success against him, and the cooler Kansas City conditions. Munaf adds that Red Sox team total under could also be a strong look. Dodgers and Padres centers on Shohei Ohtani, with Dave going back to the familiar under angle when Ohtani starts and also considering Padres run line because Randy Vásquez has been difficult to square up and the Dodgers may not have the same offensive ceiling if Ohtani is not hitting. Munaf reinforces the under trend in Ohtani starts and mentions Dodgers team total under as another way to approach the matchup. Dave also adds a lean to Blue Jays and Yankees under, pointing to Trey Yesavage, Cam Schlittler, and two offenses that may not be in ideal hitting form. After a reminder about the Pregame promo code playoffs20, the hosts close with official best bets. Dave takes Athletics and Angels over nine and a half, trusting the hitting conditions, vulnerable pitching, and weak bullpens. Munaf takes Brewers and Cubs under six and a half, expecting a pitcher friendly setup and runs at a premium. The episode delivers a sharp mix of NBA playoff matchup analysis, MLB totals, first five angles, player props, and best bets for a busy Wednesday betting card. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Tuesday. Tuesday, May 19, 2026 brings one of the biggest nights of the sports calendar, and Munaf Manji and Uncle Diamond Dave Essler are locked in on everything that matters on Cash That Ticket, airing on the Straight Outta Vegas AM feed. The Eastern Conference Finals open tonight at Madison Square Garden as the New York Knicks host the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1, and the hosts spend the first half of the pod breaking down every layer of this matchup — from the series price, with New York installed as a minus-265 favorite and Cleveland available at plus-215, to the specific game-one angles that offer the most value on a Tuesday tip-off. OG Anunoby is listed as probable and expected to play after missing the final two games of the Philadelphia series with a hamstring strain, and Dave makes the case that his return is the single most important development heading into this series for New York — a player who was shooting over 60 percent on two-point attempts and playing elite defense across multiple positions before the injury. Cleveland arrives with just one day of rest after grinding through back-to-back Game 7s against Toronto and Detroit, and while Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen were exceptional in the series clincher against the Pistons, Dave challenges the narrative around that scoring output, noting that 44 free throws and a desperate Detroit pace created a performance that the Knicks will not allow to repeat. His key play is the Cavaliers team total under 105.5. Munaf leans first-half under and highlights the historical trend of Game 7 teams struggling in quick-turnaround games. Both hosts dig into the Jalen Brunson three-point prop at essentially even money — Brunson is shooting 41 percent from deep in these playoffs, nearly 47 percent at home, and has cleared three makes in seven of his last ten home playoff games while averaging double-digit attempts against Cleveland in the regular season. From the NBA, the pod transitions into a deep and well-sourced MLB breakdown, opening with the Braves-Marlins early game, where Dave isolates Atlanta in the first five innings against Braxton Garrett with Martin Perez creating an interesting matchup for Miami. The Reds and Phillies serve up one of the best pitch mismatches of the week with Chase Burns at his absolute best and Jesús Luzardo carrying an ERA above five — both hosts agree the play is Cincinnati through five innings and nowhere near their bullpen. The Mets and Nationals get a nuanced treatment with Nolan McLean squaring off against Foster Griffin in Washington, with live-game over opportunities discussed alongside a Nationals team total angle. The Yankees and Blue Jays game two offers a favorable run environment through weather and bullpen fatigue, and Munaf and Dave both lean over while leaning toward Toronto as a value side. At Wrigley Field, Jacob Misiorowski and Ben Brown set up one of the easiest first-five under reads on the board, and both hosts refuse to overthink what is clearly a pitcher's showcase through five innings. The Dodgers and Padres conclude the NL breakdown with Dave raising the early-inning Dodgers team total as the cleaner way to attack Griffin Canning's command disasters without committing to a full-game side. Munaf officially closes his best bet on Ranger Suarez and the Red Sox moneyline at minus-128 on BetOnline, with Suarez having not allowed a run in over 19 consecutive innings while Bailey Falter and a Kansas City bullpen game await. Dave closes with two official best bets: Jalen Brunson three-plus threes at minus-102 and the Angels-Athletics over nine, driven by Jacob Lopez's alarming home run and walk rates. Head to pregame.com and use promo code PICK25 for all-access picks through May 31. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Monday. Munaf Manji and Uncle Diamond Dave Essler are back for a loaded Monday edition of Cash That Ticket on the Straight Outta Vegas AM feed, and the Western Conference Finals take center stage right from the jump as these two dig deep into Game 1 between the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight at Paycom Center. The series odds on DraftKings have the Thunder as minus-260 favorites and the Spurs sitting at plus-210, but both guys make a compelling case for San Antonio, pointing to a 4-and-1 regular season record against OKC, consistent spread coverage across a wide range of lines, and a style of play that gives the Spurs a real chance to compete against the defending champions. Munaf officially takes the Spurs at plus-220 for the series on FanDuel and likes them plus six and a half for Game 1 as well, arguing that Oklahoma City's price is built on public perception rather than a genuine gap between these two rosters, and that the defensive attention funneled toward Victor Wembanyama will open the floor for Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, and De'Aaron Fox in exactly the ways that have made this Spurs team so dangerous all season. Dave agrees the spread is inflated, spots the number as high as seven on FanDuel, and leans to San Antonio plus the points while also backing the under despite a market that has pushed the total north of 221 at multiple books. The total discussion is sharp, with both guys citing under trends in game ones for both franchises and pointing out that OKC's big offensive outputs this postseason came against Phoenix and the Lakers, neither of which remotely resembles what San Antonio brings defensively. On the prop side Dave goes with Ajay Mitchell over 13 points at minus-123 on DraftKings, making the case that Mitchell has scored fewer than 14 points only once in eight postseason games and is the kind of off-brand value that separates sharp bettors from the crowd, while Munaf tracks Stephon Castle at 17 and a half given Castle's history of scoring 32, 22, 24, 19, and 20 against OKC this season. The baseball card gets the same thorough treatment across five games: the Reds-Phillies over is the consensus call with Nick Lodolo struggling badly since returning from injury and Andrew Painter's numbers even weaker than his reputation, the Orioles-Rays matchup generates a yellow flag despite Shane McClanahan's exceptional form because the line movement tells an interesting story, the Blue Jays-Yankees game produces a first-five over recommendation at four and a half with both Patrick Corbin's regression metrics and Ryan Weathers' fly-ball tendencies pointing toward early scoring, and the Dodgers-Padres game is where both guys get loudest, taking San Diego at plus-128 because Yoshinobu Yamamoto has allowed at least three earned runs in four straight starts and Michael King has been one of the better starters in the NL over the same stretch. Dave wraps up with a smart segment on weather handicapping that every baseball bettor should hear, breaking down exactly how to factor wind, temperature, humidity, and air pressure without blindly chasing overs every time conditions look favorable. Best bets to close: Dave takes the Padres run line at minus-130, Munaf fires on the Braves-Marlins under at eight and a half backing Max Meyer's breakout campaign against rookie J.R. Ritchie making his first appearance against Miami. Use promo code RISE10 at pregame.com for ten dollars off any purchase including rest-of-May all-access through May 31st. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk sports betting for Friday. Munaf Manji and Uncle Diamond Dave Essler are back on the Cash That Ticket podcast for a Friday, May 15, 2026 episode that covers more ground than most, starting with two NBA playoff closeout games and working all the way through the MLB Friday card, a PGA Championship round one update, and a genuine milestone moment as Munaf officially becomes a Pregame Pro on Pregame.com — selling picks for the first time after years of giving them away for free on this pod, and receiving a full public endorsement from Dave that was honest, direct, and exactly what you would expect from a man who has been in the pick-selling business long enough to know the difference between a handicapper and a salesman. On the NBA side, the guys break down Game 6 of Cavaliers versus Pistons at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, where the Cavs hold a three-games-to-two lead after surviving overtime in Detroit behind 30 points from James Harden and a 31-free-throw performance that Dave argues is simply not repeatable — not the free throw volume, not the 40 percent three-point shooting, not the pace that produced 211 points in regulation plus overtime, and both hosts land on the under at 211 and a half as their conviction play, with Dave adding Detroit plus four and a half as his side bet, pointing to the Pistons' history of holding opponents under 101 points in five of their six wins this postseason and the brutal minutes load both rosters are carrying out of an overtime game where Cade Cunningham played 48 of 53 available minutes and Evan Mobley, James Harden, and Donovan Mitchell each logged 43. In the Western Conference, San Antonio leads Minnesota three to two and travels to Target Center as road favorites, and Dave likes the Timberwolves in the spot — citing the loss of emotional fuel that powered the Spurs' 29-point blowout in Game 5 after the Victor Wembanyama ejection, the correctable nature of Minnesota's poor shooting and paint numbers from that game, and his standing rule about backing home underdogs in elimination games, which Munaf reinforces with data showing the Wolves have consistently been excellent coming off losses and pointing to Anthony Edwards as a player who needs a signature moment tonight, with both hosts taking Minnesota plus five and a half and the over at 218 and a half and flagging Naz Reid three-pointers made and Jaden McDaniels points and rebounds as the ancillary prop angles on the Wolves side. On the MLB card, they fade Aaron Nola against the Pirates and Braxton Ashcraft, building the case around Nola's fly-ball evolution, his seven home runs in 42 innings, his trend of pitching worse in back-to-back matchups against the same team, and the road context at PNC Park tonight, preferring the Pittsburgh first-five-innings run line as the cleanest execution vehicle. In the Subway Series, Cam Schlittler — who is putting up historic numbers not seen since Walter Johnson in 1913 — starts for the Yankees at Citi Field against Clay Holmes and the Mets, with cold temperatures, wind blowing in, and a total of seven making the first-five-innings under the natural play for both hosts. Dave's best bet is the over in the Rockies-Diamondbacks game at Coors Field, where Merrill Kelly arrives with a 7.62 ERA and 19 hits allowed in 14 road innings, and Munaf's best bet is the under eight in Atlanta between the Braves and the Red Sox, with Spencer Strider making his third start back from an oblique strain against a Boston offense that has scored five combined runs over its last four games. Use promo code RISE10 at Pregame.com — R-I-S-E-1-0 — to get ten dollars off anything including the rest-of-May all-access package, now available at eighty-nine dollars through May 31, and head to the Buy Picks tab to find Munaf's daily package and Dave's three-star playoff game of the month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Wednesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Tuesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Monday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Friday. Munaf Manji and Dave Essler are back on Cash That Ticket for a stacked Friday edition on the Straight Outta Vegas AM feed, working through four NBA playoff games across the Friday and Saturday schedule while also firing through a loaded MLB card that features one of the most anticipated pitching debuts of the 2026 season. Dave opens the show processing a painful Cleveland Cavaliers loss from Thursday night, breaking down the Harden problem in detail and explaining why a fourth-quarter Cavaliers comeback was always going to run out of steam on the road. From there the conversation shifts to Game 3 of the Sixers and Knicks, where Joel Embiid is questionable and the line has swung from New York as a nine-point favorite all the way to Philadelphia as a home favorite. Dave lands on the Sixers team total over 107 and a half while both hosts pass the side, arguing that without Embiid the Philadelphia offense actually plays faster and that the Knicks, for all their paint dominance in the first two games, are not a shutdown defensive unit. Munaf adds a structural argument centered on the Knicks outscoring the Sixers by 52 combined points in the paint across Games 1 and 2, and identifies the first quarter and first half as the cleaner angles if you want to side with Philadelphia. The Spurs and Timberwolves debate produces an unexpected consensus, with Dave walking himself through history and landing on Minnesota at plus four and a half, pointing to San Antonio potentially having shot its load in a statement blowout victory and the pendulum swinging too far. Munaf reinforces the position with Minnesota's six-and-two bounce-back record at home in the playoffs since 2023, covering in all three categories, and both hosts converge on the Wolves team total over given that Minnesota shot only 30 percent from three, missed 15 free throws, and committed 22 turnovers in Game 2 on the road. Saturday's Cleveland game is treated as a home-side spot play, with Dave liking the first half and Munaf laying the full number, both pointing to Detroit's unsustainable 50-percent three-point shooting from the blowout win and Harden's near-certain bounce-back game at home. Oklahoma City is a straightforward laydown at minus eight and a half over a Lakers squad that has no bench, an aging LeBron playing heavy minutes, and a defense that surrendered 125 points in Game 2. Baseball brings Robby Snelling's major league debut for the Miami Marlins as Dave's best bet, with the 22-year-old lefty having posted a 1.86 ERA with 44 strikeouts in six Triple-A starts in 2026 and a dominant multi-year minor league track record that makes the debut label meaningless. Munaf counters with the Cincinnati Reds team total over four and a half runs against Mike Burrows and the Astros, a bet grounded in Burrows surrendering at least five earned runs in four of his last five starts and a bullpen that has done him no favors. Use promo code BASES10 at pregame.com for ten dollars off the rest-of-May all-access package, dropping the price from 99 to 89 dollars through May 31st. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Wednesday. Munaf Manji and Dave Essler are back on the Straight Outta Vegas AM feed for a loaded Wednesday card that covers two NBA playoff Game 2s, a ten-game MLB slate, and the Framber Valdez meltdown that had the baseball world talking Tuesday night. Tuesday went one and one, the Lakers team total got there quietly, Cade Cavalli got roughed up, and Dave's Rangers first-five under died when Texas scored three in the top of the first, but April closed strong and the guys are right back at it. In the East, the New York Knicks host the Philadelphia 76ers for Game 2 at Madison Square Garden after a 39-point blowout in Game 1 where Jalen Brunson dropped 35 in 31 minutes, Mikal Bridges went 7 of 10 for 17, Karl-Anthony Towns went 7 of 11 for 17, and OG Anunoby was 7 of 8 for 18 points while the Knicks shot 51.4 percent from three. The line sits at Knicks minus seven and a half, the same number Philadelphia has been getting all postseason, and Dave argues the market is pricing in a bounce-back that is not coming, pointing to Karl-Anthony Towns as the matchup problem the Celtics never had to solve. Munaf's case is simpler: Jalen Brunson has scored 39, 47, 40, 41, and 35 in his last five playoff games against Philly, and DraftKings has him over 26.5 at minus 122, a number he cleared before halftime in Game 1. Brunson over is Munaf's best bet. In the West, Minnesota stole Game 1 in San Antonio 104-102 despite Victor Wembanyama posting 12 blocks in a record-setting performance, though Wembanyama went 5 of 17 from the floor and De'Aaron Fox added 5 of 14, with the two combining to shoot 10 of 31 from the field. The Spurs are nine and a half point home favorites for Game 2 with the total at 215 and a half. Dave leans over, citing the Spurs' 27 fast break points in Game 1, referee Scott Foster's historically friendly whistle, and the likelihood both teams shoot more efficiently from three. He also leans Minnesota with the points and identifies Dylan Harper, who went 7 of 13 for 17 with four assists in 29 minutes, as his preferred player prop target when the Wolves go to their bench. On the MLB side, Dave makes the Twins team total over four and a half his best bet of the day against Miles Mikolas, who has given up four, three, three, and four earned runs in his last four road starts and is walking batters at a concerning rate. Dave also targets the Diamondbacks on the run line against Paul Skenes, reading sharp money as the line compressed from minus 150 to minus 121 for Pittsburgh. Nathan Eovaldi and the Rangers get a look, with Dave leaning under as the total climbs toward nine. The guys also unpack a developing Shohei Ohtani angle: in his last three starts where he pitched but did not bat, the Dodgers scored a combined two runs and lost all three games, making the other team on the run line a potential systematic edge moving forward. The episode wraps with the Framber Valdez situation, where the Tigers starter drilled Trevor Story with a 94 mph fastball immediately after allowing back-to-back home runs by Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu, clearing the benches at Comerica Park. Both managers condemned the act, Valdez claimed it was unintentional, and Dave made the case it fits a pattern. Use promo code BASES10 at Pregame.com for ten dollars off rest-of-May all access, every pick in every sport from your favorite pro through May 31st for just 89 dollars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Tuesday. Tuesday, May 5, 2026 brings two brand-new second-round NBA playoff series to the floor, and Munaf Manji and Uncle Diamond Dave Essler are locked in with every angle you need before tip-off on this edition of Cash That Ticket, airing on the Straight Outta Vegas AM feed. The guys open by recapping Monday night's conference semifinal openers, starting with Jalen Brunson's dominant 35-point performance in New York, where the Knicks blew out the Philadelphia 76ers 137-98 with Brunson dropping 27 in the first half alone. Tyrese Maxey finished with just 13 points and had limited shot attempts in a game that was over well before the final buzzer. In the late game, Victor Wembanyama put together one of the most statistically remarkable individual performances in playoff history, blocking 12 shots to set a new NBA single-game postseason record, while adding 11 points and 15 rebounds for a triple-double, yet San Antonio still fell 104-102 to Minnesota as Julian Champagnie's buzzer three drifted wide. Anthony Edwards played 25 minutes off the bench in his return from injury, scoring 18 points including 11 in the fourth quarter to seal the Timberwolves win. From there, Munaf and Dave dive into tonight's action starting in the East, where the Cleveland Cavaliers travel to Detroit to face a Pistons team riding momentum from three straight comeback wins. The line has moved significantly from four down to as low as two and a half, with heavy Cavaliers money driving it, and Dave is landing on the Pistons money line while Munaf leans the Pistons on the spread if you can still find the two and a half. Both hosts flag the tired-legs factor heavily, as each club played a Game 7 with just one day of rest. In the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder are a massive 15.5-point home favorite over a Lakers squad still without Luka Doncic. Munaf points to the regular-season data showing Oklahoma City outscored Los Angeles in all four meetings, with the Lakers reaching just 96 or fewer points in three of those games. Dave takes the Lakers team total under and the game total under, while Munaf plants his flag on the Thunder team total over and says he wouldn't hesitate to lay the spread. LeBron James averaged 38.7 minutes per game in the Houston series without Luka available, and both hosts see that fatigue as a meaningful factor heading into Game 1. The guys also break down a deep MLB Tuesday card covering the Reds-Cubs matchup, Cade Cavalli's recent hot streak, the Dodgers-Astros series with Shohei Ohtani on the mound, Peter Lambert's track record against Los Angeles, line movement on Framber Valdez in Boston, and a full run through the rest of the slate. Dave's best bet is Cade Cavalli over 4.5 strikeouts against a Minnesota Twins lineup that piles up strikeouts, backed by back-to-back 10-strikeout outings in his two most recent starts. Munaf's best bet is the Lakers team total under 98.5, betting directly on the Thunder defense to suffocate a Los Angeles offense that has no clear scoring solution with Luka sidelined. Dave closes with a practical word on live betting, encouraging listeners to build a pre-game trigger plan for tonight's Cavs-Pistons matchup in particular, where early line movement could create real value on Cleveland if Detroit jumps out fast. Visit pregame.com and use promo code HIT20 to get Uncle Dave's MLB 30-day all-access package for just $99. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Monday. It is Monday, May 4, 2026, and round two of the NBA playoffs is officially underway. Munaf Manji and Uncle Diamond Dave Essler are back on the Straight Outta Vegas AM feed with everything you need to get your week started on the right foot, from series prices and game one spreads to player props and the best Monday MLB slate angles of the early May calendar. The pod opens with a record update that should put a smile on any listener's face, 78 and 53 through May 1, good for 59.5 percent and plus 21.57 units for the life of the show, with April closing strong at 25 and 18 and plus 9.04 units. Friday's best bet on Desmond Bane over 2.5 three-pointers at plus odds cashed, Dave made seven units from Adam Scott on the PGA Tour, and the machine rolls on. The first order of business is the Eastern Conference semifinals opener between the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, a matchup that had both hosts in heavy agreement: the value in this series is with Philly. Dave laid out a sharp argument using the championship futures board, noting that the series price is far tighter than the gap between the Sixers at 40 to 1 and the Knicks at 9 to 1 to win the title would suggest, implying the market is undervaluing Philadelphia at the series level. He also cited the regular-season split, with Philly winning both road games in New York and losing both home games, an ideal setup for a team walking into MSG as a road underdog at plus 220. In Game 1 he likes the Sixers plus 7.5 and the over on the 212.5 total. Munaf came in even hotter, revealing he had grabbed futures tickets on the Sixers to come out of the East at 25 to 1 when they were trailing Boston 3-1, and his case rests heavily on Paul George shooting 55 percent from three-point range in the first round and rookie VJ Edgecombe, who posted 23 points in Game 7 against the Celtics and is playing nothing like a first-year player. Player props discussed include Kelly Oubre Jr. over his points line, Deuce McBride over 1.5 three-pointers at minus 137, and Karl-Anthony Towns at plus 128 to connect on two or more threes. Out west, San Antonio opens as a 13.5-point home favorite against Minnesota and both hosts are fading that number aggressively. Dave noted the Spurs were only 4.5-point home favorites in their most recent regular-season meeting and the historical trend on second-round big favorites against the spread is brutal, 9 and 25 covering just 26 percent of the time since 2016. His player prop of the night is De'Aaron Fox over six assists at minus 144, a near-lock based on Fox's season average and his consistency throughout the Portland series. Anthony Edwards is questionable for Game 1 and both hosts lean toward him sitting out, with Munaf projecting a Wednesday return. The MLB side features Dave's Grand Salami over on a wind-friendly slate, a live Cardinals underdog look against Milwaukee, the Braves rolling despite Ronald Acuna Jr. heading to the IL, and a detailed breakdown of why Shane Baz and the Baltimore bullpen are in serious trouble against the New York Yankees tonight. Dave's featured best bet is Yankees team total over 4.5 runs, backed by a brutal Yankees-versus-Baz history including seven home runs in 48 combined at-bats. Munaf closes with his best bet of the week, Tyrese Maxey over 25.5 points at minus 107 on DraftKings, citing five 30-plus-point games in Maxey's last six matchups against the Knicks. Do not forget to use promo code HIT20 at Pregame.com to get $20 off the 30-day All Access MLB package and let the pros do the work for you all season long. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Friday. Munaf Manji and Uncle Diamond Dave Essler are back on the Straight Outta Vegas AM feed for the May 1 edition of Cash That Ticket, and the slate is as loaded as any Friday of the playoffs. The show opens with a full Thursday night recap after Minnesota eliminated Denver in six games, with Jaden McDaniels going for a career-high 32 points and 10 rebounds while Terrence Shannon Jr. added 24 in a starting role forced by a three-guard injury pile that left the Timberwolves shorthanded going into the clincher. Jamal Murray shot 4-of-17, finished with 12 points and four assists, and the Nuggets are done. Minnesota advances to face San Antonio on Monday. The Knicks destroyed Atlanta 140-89 on a night where the Hawks never threatened, and Philadelphia beat Boston to force a Saturday Game 7 in the Eastern Conference. Then the guys get into tonight's three elimination games and that is where the real work begins. In Orlando, the Magic are catching four points at home against Detroit in a game where Franz Wagner is out and the Pistons are laying points for the first time in the series on the road in a must-win spot for the home team. Dave likes the Magic plus four and the under at 210. Munaf builds a detailed case for Desmond Bane over 2.5 three-pointers made at plus-117 on DraftKings, citing three consecutive games with three-plus threes, five-plus threes in both Orlando home games, 8.83 attempts per game from deep, and 35-plus minutes of run with Wagner sidelined. In Toronto, Cleveland has never won on the road in this series and the Raptors outplayed the Cavaliers in every stat but three-point shooting in Game 5, losing by five while outrebounding Cleveland by 13 and posting 32 assists to Cleveland's 20. Brandon Ingram moves to doubtful mid-show and the line shifts a full point across every book, but both Dave and Munaf had already made their call on Toronto at plus points before the downgrade was official. In Houston, the Rockets try to force a Game 7 without Kevin Durant, who is out again with a bone bruise in his ankle. LeBron James is 41 and playing six games in thirteen days on the road. Austin Reeves is back but has become a defensive liability. Reed Sheppard had his coming-out moments in Game 5. Amen Thompson is playing like a seasoned postseason veteran. Dave and Munaf both land on Houston to cover and the under at 205.5, noting that three of five games in this series have finished at 205 or below. The MLB card gets a full breakdown too, with Dave delivering his best bet of the year candidate in the Red Sox team total over 4.5 runs against Mike Burrows and the porous Astros bullpen at Fenway Park. Munaf adds the Royals at Mariners under with Cole Ragans and Bryan Woo on the mound as his cleaner baseball play. There is also discussion of the Dodgers at St. Louis under, the Twins team total against Patrick Corbin, the White Sox run line against San Diego, and whether Shane McClanahan at minus-150 is worth it against San Francisco. All this plus the Pregame.com promo code HIT20 for twenty dollars off a thirty-day MLB all-access package at one hundred and nineteen dollars, and a Monday preview that will bring the official April best bets recap, second-round series previews, and the full Timberwolves versus Spurs Game 1 breakdown. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Thursday. Munaf Manji and Uncle Diamond Dave Essler close out the month of April on the Cash That Ticket podcast, airing on the Straight Outta Vegas AM feed, with a full breakdown of Thursday's NBA playoff slate and a sharp late MLB play. Coming off a five and one week and a productive month across the board, the guys come in focused and pick apart every angle on a loaded three-game NBA card before turning their attention to Kevin Gausman and Bailey Ober squaring off in a late Blue Jays-Twins matchup in Minnesota. The episode opens with a Wednesday night recap covering the Pistons-Magic game, where both Cade Cunningham and Paolo Banchero finished with 45 points in a high-scoring affair, and then pivots to the bigger story, which is the Houston Rockets beating the Los Angeles Lakers on the road in Game 5 without Kevin Durant. Jabari Smith Jr. led Houston with 22 points and seven rebounds while Dorian Finney-Smith turned in a dominant 18-point, 17-rebound performance to help send the series back to Los Angeles with the Rockets holding the edge. For the NBA slate, the guys dig into all three Game 6 matchups. In the Knicks-Hawks game, both Munaf and Dave land on the Atlanta team total over at 105.5 on DraftKings, citing the zigzag theory and CJ McCollum's strong bounce-back case after combining for just 23 points in Games 4 and 5 while going cold from three. Josh Hart's questionable status with a lower back contusion adds more reason to target McCollum over his points total as the top player prop of the evening. In the Celtics-76ers game, Dave targets the Philadelphia team total under, arguing Boston's defensive dominance and near-total statistical control of Game 5 outweighs Philly's one hot shooting night, while Munaf backs the Sixers plus six and a half on the side and points to Joel Embiid's 33-point, 39-minute Game 5 performance as evidence the big man is fully healthy and in command. Dave's player prop is Embiid's combined points, rebounds, and assists over 41 at DraftKings, which Embiid has already cleared in both series games. In the Nuggets-Timberwolves game, Dave offers three angles, including Minnesota in the first half as a live home underdog, the game under 224.5, and Denver minus 150 to win the series rather than the individual game, while Munaf co-signs the under and targets Nikola Jokic's rebounds and assists over 24.5 as a prop rooted in pace, playmaking, and the Timberwolves' depleted front court. Both hosts agree that Spencer Jones and Cam Johnson combining for 38 points in Game 5 on the road is not a reasonable expectation. On the MLB side, Dave's best bet is Bailey Ober recording over 17.5 outs against Toronto, supported by three straight six-inning starts, a career-low 83-pitch effort against Tampa Bay, and Blue Jays hitters batting just .191 against him on the season. Munaf's best bet is Jamal Murray's combined points and assists over 33.5 at minus 107 on DraftKings, a volume play built on Murray's season-long usage and the Nuggets' need for him to shoulder the offensive load in a must-win road game. Use promo code HIT20 at Pregame.com to get 20 dollars off a 30-day All Access MLB package, bringing the price from 119 down to 99. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Wednesday. Munaf Manji and Uncle Dave Essler are back for the Wednesday edition of Cash That Ticket on the Straight Outta Vegas AM feed, coming off a perfect 2-0 Tuesday that included the San Antonio Spurs covering big and the Cincinnati Reds cashing the team total over four and a half thanks to Elly De La Cruz's 10th home run of the season in an eighth-inning two-run blast. Before diving into the card, Uncle Dave makes a point of crediting one of his best decisions of the week as a bet he chose not to make, targeting José Soriano and the Angels in a first-five spot that he ultimately passed on after the market signaled something was off. That discipline is the theme of the early conversation, with both hosts discussing the mental game of hot streaks, the danger of overconfidence, and why the process matters more than any single result. On the NBA side, all three games on the board get deep analysis. In Detroit, Franz Wagner's calf strain puts the Magic in an interesting position with a 3-1 series lead, and Uncle Dave identifies Detroit at plus 210 to win the series as the smart play rather than laying or taking nine-plus points, pointing to a massive Pistons bench edge over a shallow Orlando reserve unit. The Orlando team total under gets flagged as a secondary play, along with a Jalen Suggs regression prop on DraftKings after a historically bad shooting game. In Cleveland, Uncle Dave makes a strong case for Toronto with the eight and a half points and the over, citing brutal combined shooting in Game 4 that he expects both teams to correct at home. Donovan Mitchell's points prop over twenty-seven and a half and Jarrett Allen scoring twelve or more are both identified as supporting plays. The Raptors-Cavaliers game total over two eighteen and a half at minus one-oh-five on DraftKings is Munaf's official best bet for the night. In Los Angeles, both hosts lean under in the Rockets-Lakers closeout game with Kevin Durant already ruled out, and Munaf makes a case for a signature LeBron performance, identifying his rebounds-plus-assists combination at fifteen and a half as an intriguing prop. Uncle Dave likes Jabari Smith Junior's PRA over twenty-seven at minus one-oh-eight on DraftKings. On the MLB side, Uncle Dave runs through the full evening card, identifying the Brewers with Eduardo Rodriguez as a viable minus-one-twenty play, the Astros as a live underdog against Chris Bassitt with their team total over as the vehicle, the Royals team total over facing Luis Severino at his worst home environment, and the Braves in the first five against JR Ritchie at around minus one-oh-five as the most interesting matchup-specific angle of the night given Detroit's complete unfamiliarity with the rookie. Uncle Dave's official best bet is the Reds team total over four and a half against Tomoyuki Sugano, the Rockies right-hander who Uncle Dave had pegged as Tuesday's starter before Kyle Freeland took the ball. The same logic applies tonight in a hitter-friendly park with a favorable wind. The show closes with a preview of the Denver-Minnesota Game 6 on Thursday and a reminder to use promo code HIT20 at Pregame.com for twenty dollars off the thirty-day all-access MLB package, available right now for just ninety-nine dollars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Tuesday. Munaf Manji and Uncle Diamond Dave Esler are back on a Tuesday edition of Cash That Ticket on the Straight Outta Vegas AM feed, riding a 2-0 Monday into one of the biggest nights of the NBA first round. The pod opens with a clean recap of the night before, with the Oklahoma City Thunder team total cashing easily at 131 points and Connor Prielipp's strikeout prop for the Twins hitting at exactly five, getting there by the hook after a fifth-inning escape that had Dave convinced the bet was gone. Three games on Tuesday's NBA playoff schedule and a full MLB card give the guys plenty to dig into. The first matchup up is Celtics and Sixers at 7:10 Eastern, with Boston holding a commanding 3-1 series lead and laying 11.5 at TD Garden. Dave makes the case that Philadelphia simply cannot score against this defense, pointing to just one game above 100 points all series and a team total sitting right around 100 that he expects the Sixers to come up short of. Munaf identifies Jayson Tatum's rebounds plus assists combination at 17.5 on DraftKings as the player prop of the game, citing consistent production all series long in both categories. Dave adds VJ Edgecombe at over 12 points as a bounce-back candidate after the Sixers rookie went 0-for-11 from three over three straight games following his 30-point Game 2 masterpiece. Both analysts land on the Celtics to cover and close it out. Then it's on to the Knicks and Hawks at 8:10 Eastern, a 2-2 series back at Madison Square Garden where New York is laying 6.5. Dave targets the Knicks team total over, noting New York has hovered right around 110 all series while Atlanta's defense has been a liability. Munaf brings up the game-five intensity factor and how the 3-2 edge makes both teams play harder defensively before landing on CJ McCollum's points over 20.5 as his prop of choice, arguing Atlanta has no offense without him producing. Dave goes off the board with Jonathan Kuminga at over 12 points, citing his 19 and 21-point efforts in Atlanta's two wins, his nearly 29 minutes per game role, and a bounce-back profile after a quiet Game 4. The night closes with Spurs and Blazers at 9:40 Eastern, with Victor Wembanyama back after his concussion and San Antonio holding a 3-1 lead at home. Dave likes Portland's team total under 101.5, pointing to the Blazers being held under 100 points twice in the series with Wembanyama active and noting that no adjustment Portland has tried has solved the defensive problem. Munaf makes the Spurs minus-11.5 his official best bet, calling out the coaching mismatch between Mitch Johnson and Thiago Splitter as an underreported factor and projecting a wire-to-wire blowout similar to the 111-98 Game 1 result. The MLB rundown covers the full Tuesday board, with Dave scanning everything from the Reds and Rockies to the Astros, Dodgers, Cardinals, Pirates, Orioles and more. Dave's best bet is the Cincinnati Reds team total over 4.5 runs with Tomoyuki Sugano on the mound for Colorado, a wind blowing out at Great American Ball Park, and the Rockies bullpen projected to regress away from Coors. Breaking news midway through the show confirmed the Phillies fired manager Rob Thompson and that Shohei Ohtani will pitch tonight but not bat for the Dodgers. Get over to Pregame.com and use promo code PICK25 for 25 percent off any package including Uncle Dave's football season best bets. Leave a rating and review on Spotify or Apple and tell a friend to tune in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting on Monday. Monday is here and Munaf Manji and Uncle Diamond Dave Esler are all over the final week of April with a loaded episode of Cash That Ticket on the Straight Outta Vegas AM feed. The guys kick things off with a weekend recap that features two painful hook losses for Uncle Dave — a baseball team total that finished at exactly four runs after he passed on buying it down, and an NBA team total where he took the number at the wrong time and paid for it by a single point. Despite those close calls, the podcast remains solidly in the green, sitting at 71 and 51 lifetime for 58.2 percent and plus 16.64 units, with April holding at 19 and 16 at plus 4.14 units heading into the final stretch. Three NBA playoff games anchor Monday's card and all three get the full treatment. For Orlando Magic versus Detroit Pistons, Uncle Dave is on the over at 214 and a half after the series has gone 221, 218, and 215 in successive games, calling this another market overreaction on a number that has drifted too low. He also has a Paolo Banchero double-double prop at minus 120 after the Magic star posted 25 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists in Game 3. Munaf takes the Pistons side at minus two and a half, expecting Desmond Bane's 7-of-9 three-point shooting from Game 3 to regress hard and Detroit's offense to show up collectively. For Oklahoma City Thunder versus Phoenix Suns, Uncle Dave leans toward first-half Phoenix scoring angles while Munaf makes his official best bet the Thunder team total over 112 and a half at minus 112 on DraftKings, noting OKC has scored at least 119 in all three games of the series. The most emotional segment covers Minnesota Timberwolves versus Denver Nuggets, where Donte DiVincenzo tore his right Achilles just over a minute into Game 4 and Anthony Edwards left with a bone bruise and knee hyperextension in the second quarter. Minnesota still won 112-96 behind 43 points from Ayo Dosunmu, one of the greatest bench performances in NBA playoff history, 13 of 17 from the field, 5 of 5 from three, 12 of 12 from the line. Uncle Dave takes the Wolves team total under 105 and a half for Game 5 in Denver, while Munaf likes Denver first half and discusses Nikola Jokic combined rebounds and assists as a prop target. The MLB rundown covers all seven games including Dustin May regression risk for St. Louis against Pittsburgh, the Padres matchup edge over Chicago, Yoshinobu Yamamoto caution in Los Angeles, Parker Messick trust for Cleveland against Tampa Bay, Dylan Cease strikeout props against Boston, Angels team total over versus Jonathan Kochanowicz in Chicago, and Jack Leiter plus-money value for Texas against Max Fried in New York. Best bets to close: Uncle Dave is on Connor Prielipp over 4.5 strikeouts against Seattle and Munaf is on OKC Thunder team total over 112 and a half. Use promo code PICK25 at pregame.com for 25 percent off everything including early football season packages. Do not sleep on this discount. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Friday. Munaf Manji and Uncle Diamond Dave Esler close out the week on Cash That Ticket, the sports betting podcast on the Straight Outta Vegas AM feed, with three NBA playoff Game 3s and a full MLB Friday card on the board. The guys are coming off a 3-and-2 individual week and a 6-and-4 combined mark, and they are locked in to finish strong. On the NBA side, the show opens with a deep breakdown of Celtics and 76ers in Philadelphia, where Dave admits he loves the Sixers at plus seven and a half despite his loyalty to Boston, pointing to VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey as two players capable of shooting right over the Celtics defense at home. Munaf fires back with a compelling multi-year trend under head coach Joe Mazzulla showing Boston at 12-and-2 straight up and against the spread in playoff road games following a loss, including five straight covers and seven wins in the last eight such situations, every one by at least eight points. He also notes positive shooting regression is coming for Derrick White, Jayson Tatum, and Sam Hauser after a combined cold night in Game 2. Moving to Houston, the short-handed Lakers hold a stunning two-game series lead with Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart having combined for 48 points in Game 2, and both hosts land on the Lakers plus eight and a half while debating whether the over makes more sense given how suppressed the total has become. Munaf makes the case that Reed Sheppard's 11 minutes of playing time in Game 2 is the single biggest problem for Houston's offense, and he names Kevin Durant points over 23.5 as his prop bet of the night given Durant's 41 minutes of usage and his role as the Rockets' primary scoring option in a must-win home environment. In Portland, Victor Wembanyama's concussion status dominates the conversation as the Spurs arrive with their best player officially listed as questionable. Both hosts lean the over given the pace rankings of both teams and Portland's higher three-point accuracy at home, while Dave endorses the Blazers team total over and names Robert Williams III points, rebounds, and assists over 15 at minus 122 as his best bet of the day, citing Williams' 11-point, nine-rebound, four-assist performance off the bench in Game 2. Munaf backs Jrue Holiday PRA over 27.5 on FanDuel as his other best bet, building the case around Holiday's 30 PRA in Game 2 and his locked-in usage for Portland. On the MLB side, Dave highlights the Nationals and White Sox over as a prime bullpen game spot with favorable weather and two of the worst relief corps in baseball, while Munaf adds the Brewers at plus odds against Paul Skenes, the Yankees team total over against Lance McCullers Jr., and the Cleveland Guardians riding a nine-and-one straight-up after-a-loss trend against Max Scherzer and Toronto. Use promo code PICK25 at pregame.com for 25 percent off everything including Uncle Dave's season-long best bet package and all-access football picks at an already-discounted price. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Thursday. Munaf Manji and Uncle Diamond Dave Esler are back on the Cash That Ticket podcast for the Pregame.com Podcast Network's Straight Outta Vegas AM feed with a full Thursday breakdown covering three NBA first-round Game 3 matchups, the opening night of the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, and an MLB getaway day card with a pair of solid night games in the mix. Coming off a split Wednesday where Dave cashed on the Mets first-five-innings under and Munaf got the hook on Cade Cunningham's PRA by exactly one total point, the guys waste no time getting into the Thursday action. CJ McCollum's 32-point Game 2 performance at Madison Square Garden — where he came back from 12 down in the fourth quarter to lead Atlanta to a 107-106 win over the Knicks — sets the stage for Game 3 in Atlanta, and Dave makes his case for the over at 216.5, pointing to Atlanta's pace, their weak defensive interior, and a market that has moved too far off two cold Knicks fourth quarters. Munaf adds first-quarter Hawks and first-half over angles in the same game. In the Cavaliers-Raptors series, both hosts land on Toronto at home despite the 0-2 hole, citing Cleveland's brutal 9-and-19 road ATS record as a road favorite this season and the reality that the Raptors have actually played Cleveland even across six of the eight quarters in this series. For Denver and Minnesota in Game 3, Dave puts the Wolves at home on the side at plus-2.5 after breaking down why Minnesota was the better team in Game 2 despite the drama of falling behind 14 early, while Munaf makes his official best bet the Timberwolves-Nuggets first-half over at 113.5 — both games in this series have seen both teams combine for 62-62 and 64-64 at the half. On the baseball side, Dave goes back to Joe Ryan and the Twins in the first five innings against a Mets team that is sending Christian Scott to the mound for his first MLB start since returning from Tommy John surgery, and both hosts caution strongly against forcing action on getaway day games without confirmed lineups. The NFL Draft segment covers the near-certain Mendoza-to-Raiders pick one, the Reese-to-Jets pick two, and the burning question of whether New Orleans executes their trade up to the three spot to grab Reese ahead of Arizona's Jeremiyah Love decision. Monroe Freeling gets a spotlight as the projected first offensive lineman off the board to Cleveland at six. Use promo code PICK25 at Pregame.com for 25 percent off everything on the site including football season all-access subscriptions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Wednesday. Wednesday, April 22, 2026 on Cash That Ticket, Munaf Manji and Uncle Diamond Dave Esler open a loaded episode fresh off a two-and-oh best bet night, with Jrue Holiday delivering for Portland and the Celtics-Sixers under cashing in a tightly contested Game 2 that evened the Eastern Conference series heading back to Philadelphia. The big injury news from Tuesday night centers on Victor Wembanyama, who went down hard in the second quarter against Portland after hitting his chin on the floor and has been placed in the NBA's concussion protocol, a development both hosts expect to cost him at minimum Games 3 and 4 of the Spurs-Blazers series and one that will reshape betting lines across the Western Conference bracket as the week progresses. Over in the Lakers-Rockets series, Munaf and Dave dig into why a short-handed Los Angeles team is up 2-0 on Houston, crediting LeBron James and an unexpected backcourt of Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart, who combined for 48 points in Game 2 while Kevin Durant finished with nine turnovers and just three second-half points despite being the more heralded star in the matchup. The depth of the analysis on Game 2 between Orlando and Detroit is where this episode really locks in, with Dave identifying the matchup problem Detroit faces against a Magic team that has size, length, and balance in their starting five, while Munaf breaks down the free throw disparity, the paint differential, and the realistic expectation of positive shooting regression from Desmond Bane and Jalen Suggs, who combined to go 4-of-18 from three in Game 1 while Cade Cunningham accounted for nearly 39 percent of the Pistons' entire offensive output on his own. Both hosts land on Orlando plus 8.5 with Munaf adding the money line as a secondary consideration, and neither would be shocked to see the eight seed leave Detroit with a 2-0 series lead. The Oklahoma City Thunder discussion arrives at the same conclusion via a different path, with Dave and Munaf breaking down why Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 25 points on 5-of-18 shooting in a blowout win tells you everything you need to know about the talent gap between the defending champions and a Phoenix Suns team whose three best offensive players combined for seven total assists in Game 1. Dave targets the Suns team total under and the Thunder in the first quarter, while Munaf rides the Thunder team total over 116.5, reasoning that Oklahoma City can hit that number while still pulling their starters in the fourth. The MLB segment covers a full Wednesday card headlined by Shohei Ohtani on the mound for the Dodgers against the Giants, Max Fried facing Ranger Suárez in a Yankees-Red Sox clash at Fenway, Walker Buehler looking to extend his comeback against Colorado, and a Mets team that has now dropped twelve straight games, prompting dark comedy and real sympathy in equal measure. Dave's best bet is the Mets-Twins first five innings under 4.5, built around a young Minnesota arm named Pryor who has elite strikeout numbers in the minors and faces a Mets lineup that has been historically quiet. Munaf's best bet is the Cade Cunningham PRA over 45.5 at minus 108 on DraftKings, banking on guaranteed usage, shot volume, and multi-category production from the Pistons' only reliable offensive weapon in what amounts to a must-not-lose Game 2. Remind yourself to use promo code PICK25 at Pregame.com for 25 percent off anything on the site through May 5th, including football season all-access subscriptions, and lock in before prices climb heading into the NFL Draft. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Tuesday. Munaf Manji and Dave Esler are back on the Straight Outta Vegas AM feed with a full Tuesday session covering all three NBA playoff Game 2s and a deep pass through the MLB card before landing on official best bets for the night. Dave opens the episode processing a Monday night wash where a Nuggets team total over looked comfortable at halftime before a 21-point Denver fourth quarter killed the ticket, while a Royals-Orioles game over that appeared dead at 1-0 in the ninth inning came alive in extra innings and ended 7-5 in the 13th. The previous episode's best bets went one and one with Donovan Mitchell clearing his 27.5-point prop and Shohei Ohtani's home run at plus-230 falling short after pitchers chose to walk him twice on the night. The first game of Tuesday's playoff card has Boston entering as a 14.5-point favorite over a Philadelphia 76ers team still without Joel Embiid, recovering from appendicitis, and Dave wastes little time making the case for the total staying under for the second straight game after a 32-point Celtics blowout already went under in Game 1 despite Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard combining to shoot just 5-of-23 from three. Munaf leans Sixers team total under and expects another 120-plus performance from Boston once the perimeter shooting corrects. The Spurs-Blazers segment centers on Victor Wembanyama's historic 35-point playoff debut that set a San Antonio franchise record, with Dave making a sharp case for Portland at 11 to 11.5 points and the total going over as both teams figure to shoot closer to normal from three in Game 2 after the Spurs hit 47 percent and the Blazers shot just 26 percent in Game 1. Munaf zeros in on Jrue Holiday, who produced 11 assists and four rebounds on a miserable 4-of-15 shooting night in Game 1 and nearly cleared his combined points-rebounds-assists number anyway, backing Holiday over 26 combined at minus-123 on DraftKings as his best bet of the episode. The Rockets-Lakers game is dominated by the Kevin Durant game-time decision, with both hosts leaning under given Houston's defensive identity and the Lakers playing without Luka Doncic, and Munaf targeting LeBron James's rebounds and assists over and Reed Sheppard's three-point prop as the cleanest plays in an otherwise murky betting environment. Dave goes through the baseball card with a lean on the Reds full game and first five under with Chase Burns against Steven Matz, an over lean in Kansas City behind the wind blowing out and skepticism about Shane Baz and Kris Bubic matching what Kyle Bradish and Seth Lugo did Monday night, a Boston lean in Yankees-Red Sox with Connelly Early against a struggling Luis Gil, and a Cardinals lean over Miami despite some ambivalence about Dustin May facing Chris Paddack. Munaf flags the Guardians' strong bounce-back record but avoids Parker Messick after a 112-pitch no-hit bid in his last outing. Best bets are Nolan McLean carrying the Mets first five innings against a Twins offense that has never faced him and has been among the weakest in the American League, and Jrue Holiday's PRA over 26 combined. Use promo code HIT20 at Pregame.com for 20 percent off everything including MLB All Access and full season packages. Sonnet 4.6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Monday. Munaf Manji and Dave Essler break down a loaded Monday betting card with all three NBA playoff games on deck, plus a run through the most interesting MLB leans before locking in their official best bets. The show opens with some Boston sports flavor as Dave reflects on Patriots Day, the Boston Marathon, and the annual Red Sox morning start, then quickly shifts into the playoff betting board where home teams and unders dominated the opening weekend. From there, Munaf and Dave work game by game through Raptors versus Cavaliers, Hawks versus Knicks, and Timberwolves versus Nuggets, focusing on how the market has adjusted after Game 1 and where value may still exist. In the Cleveland matchup, both hosts see offensive potential again, with Dave preferring a first half over because of the way Game 1 was distorted by a wild fourth quarter, while Munaf leans harder into Cleveland's edge in the paint and Donovan Mitchell's ability to take over another postseason game. The Knicks and Hawks game gets a different treatment, with Dave again looking toward a first half scoring angle while Munaf argues Atlanta can stay within the number if it gets more support around its top scorers. Dave adds a double double prop on Onyeka Okongwu, tying the bet directly to Atlanta's need for better secondary production. In the late game, the conversation centers on whether the Timberwolves and Nuggets are due for a more offensive script after the opener stayed under despite a huge second quarter. Dave thinks the lowered total offers value on the full game over, while Munaf backs Minnesota with the points, likes the first half over, and expects Anthony Edwards to respond with a stronger scoring night. Dave also adds Rudy Gobert for a double double as another way to play Minnesota's need for help around Edwards. After the playoff board, the show turns to baseball where Dave shares leans on Dodgers Rockies, Rays Reds, Seattle, the Angels matchup, Miami, and Royals Orioles, making it clear where he sees price and total opportunities even if not every angle is a final wager yet. Munaf also brings up the Mets' ugly losing streak and the existence of a market on their next win, leading to a brief conversation about the frustration surrounding that team. The episode wraps with the official best bets, and the hosts go with star-driven plays. Dave takes Shohei Ohtani to hit a home run at plus money, while Munaf backs Donovan Mitchell over 27.5 points after Mitchell's 32-point opener. It is a focused episode built around Game 2 adjustments, first half versus full game betting decisions, useful MLB board notes, and two marquee-player best bets that reflect the larger themes of the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji talks betting for Thursday. Munaf Manji flies solo on Thursday's Cash That Ticket on the Straight Outta Vegas AM feed, opening with a transparent 0-2 recap from Wednesday — the Mariners-Padres under collapsed when San Diego scored five in the ninth to walk it off after trailing six-nothing, and Uncle Dave's Magic team total over fell flat in a defensive second half — before recapping both NBA play-in results from Wednesday night, where the Philadelphia 76ers eliminated the Orlando Magic 109–97 behind 31 points from Tyrese Maxey and strong second-half defensive adjustments that slowed down Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane, advancing to face the Boston Celtics as the seven seed, while the Orlando Magic remain alive for the eight seed through Friday's second-chance game, and Stephen Curry erupted for 35 points on 7-of-12 from three in the second half to lead the Golden State Warriors past the LA Clippers despite an eight-point halftime deficit, with Kawhi Leonard and Darius Garland's strong first half not enough to hold off Curry's takeover, sending the Warriors to face the Phoenix Suns on Friday for the Western Conference eight seed with the winner taking on the Oklahoma City Thunder in round one. Munaf also addresses LaMelo Ball receiving $60,000 in total fines rather than a suspension for his flagrant trip on Bam Adebayo, noting the response would almost certainly have been different with Draymond Green's history attached, and he briefly celebrates A'ja Wilson — the WNBA's first-ever four-time MVP — re-signing with the Las Vegas Aces on a three-year $5 million supermax deal, the largest contract in WNBA history. On the MLB side Munaf walks through early-season trends including Tampa Bay Rays going over in 80 percent of their games, Cleveland Guardians going 7-1 straight up after a loss, and Dodgers going 4-0 after a loss before breaking down three Thursday games: Orioles at Guardians where Parker Messick carries a 0.51 ERA and 0.91 WHIP into his fourth start of the year against Shane Baz; Rockies at Astros where Tomoyuki Sugano has been quietly excellent but faces a Houston lineup Manji trusts at home leading him to the Astros team total over four and a half at minus-115; and Mariners at Padres in the rematch of Wednesday's walk-off thriller where he likes Luis Castillo to bounce back and the Seattle team total over four and a half at plus-105. His best bet for the episode is the Cleveland Guardians money line at minus-127 on BetOnline behind Parker Messick, backed by the Guardians' 7-1 after-a-loss trend and Messick's dominant start to the season. Promo code HIT20 at Pregame.com for 20 percent off through the rest of April. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Wednesday Munaf Manji and Dave Essler break down a busy Wednesday betting card with sharp thoughts on the NBA play in tournament and several key MLB matchups, and the discussion starts with a quick reset on the importance of listed pitchers, late injury news, and market awareness before moving into a full slate of actionable angles. The episode opens with a recap of the previous night in the NBA, where the conversation centers on the Heat and Charlotte game, Bam Adebayo leaving with a tailbone injury, the debate around whether LaMelo Ball should have faced stronger review on the play, and the strange path Charlotte took to survive despite rough outside shooting from LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel. Munaf highlights Coby White, Miles Bridges, and the late game swing moments that pushed Charlotte forward, while Dave gives a blunt reaction to the controversy and also admits that not betting Portland after liking them still bothers him more than anything else from the prior night. From there the show moves into the main Wednesday card, beginning with the Magic and the 76ers. Joel Embiid being out becomes the central handicap point, and both hosts build from that in slightly different ways. Dave sees the game getting pushed toward a faster pace and a higher total because Philadelphia without Embiid can lose defensive resistance and no longer has every possession slowing into half court action through its star big man. Munaf agrees that Orlando has defensive issues, especially late in the season, and while he understands the market support for the Magic, he leans Sixers behind Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and the possibility of added value from supporting names like V.J. Edgecombe and Andre Drummond. The next game is Warriors against Clippers, where the handicap becomes much more about style than star power. Dave wants the under because the Clippers prefer a slow game and Golden State is not exactly trying to turn everything into a track meet either. Munaf agrees with the lower scoring script but takes the points with the Warriors, trusting Steph Curry and Golden State experience to keep the number within reach against a Clippers team still laying a healthy spread. Baseball takes over the second half of the episode, beginning with the Blue Jays and Brewers. Dylan Cease gets respect for the strikeout profile, but Dave warns against blindly backing obvious names at questionable prices and instead points listeners toward the first five under because Chad Patrick has quietly started well and both bullpens had real usage the previous night. Munaf agrees the scoring environment looks tight and says Milwaukee has appeal as a home underdog if forced onto a side. The Mariners and Padres follow with Emerson Hancock and Randy Vásquez drawing serious praise from both hosts. Dave sees a clear first five under setup and says the full game under becomes even better at the right number, while Munaf backs the same low scoring outlook and says he still does not trust Seattle enough offensively to step in front of San Diego. The final baseball game covered is Mets against Dodgers, where Clay Holmes against Shohei Ohtani creates another under discussion. Dave respects the underdog price on Holmes and prefers angles like Dodgers first five or Mets team total under over any massive full game favorite position. Munaf agrees that the Dodgers have not been putting up their usual offensive output and gives the Mets pitching staff credit for helping shape another game that looks more like a duel than a slugfest. Best bets close the show, with Dave landing on Orlando Magic team total over 111.5 because of the pace and defensive impact of Embiid being out, and Munaf taking Mariners Padres under 8 behind the combined strength of Hancock, Vásquez, and two trusted bullpens. It is a clean episode built around pace, pressure, starting pitching, and disciplined number reading, with strong insight for bettors trying to navigate both the NBA play in and a full MLB board. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Tuesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and SleepyJ talk NBA playoff Play-In-games Munaf Manji welcomes back co-host Sleepy J to the NBA Podcast as the 2026 postseason officially arrives with the play-in tournament tipping off Tuesday and Wednesday, with both hosts relieved to be back to meaningful basketball after grinding through the end of the regular season where double-digit spreads and resting rosters made handicapping nearly impossible. The show opens with a title odds discussion where Sleepy J identifies the Denver Nuggets with Nikola Jokić and the New York Knicks at 18 to 1 as his picks to make deep runs outside the top two seeds, while Manji agrees on Denver but expresses serious doubts about the Los Angeles Lakers lacking the rim protection and interior presence needed to advance deep in the playoffs, flagging Anthony Davis's inability to fill that role and noting that Cameron Johnson and Aaron Gordon playing functional defense will determine how far the Nuggets go. The four play-in games get a thorough breakdown starting with the Eastern Conference nine-ten matchup on Tuesday where Miami Heat travel to Charlotte as the ten seed to face the Hornets laying five and a half at home, with both hosts backing Charlotte because their defensive efficiency has improved from 24th in the league to seventh since the All-Star break under new ownership and a new coaching staff, and both see the Spectrum Center crowd energizing the Hornets against a Miami team under Erik Spoelstra that has dramatically changed its identity to become the fastest-paced team in the league despite years of playing at a crawl. Sleepy J also holds back a best bet on Andrew Wiggins under 14 and a half points for the Heat, projecting Wiggins in a defensive role with too few offensive touches to reach that number in a road playoff game. Tuesday's Western Conference seven-eight game has Portland Trail Blazers hosting the Phoenix Suns at minus four and a half, where both hosts like Phoenix because Dillon Brooks, Grayson Allen, and Devin Booker are playoff-tested grinders and Phoenix finished ninth in defensive efficiency for the season, and Manji makes the under at 217 and a half his official best bet projecting a first-team-to-105-or-110 grinding game with Jrue Holiday controlling Portland's tempo. Wednesday's Eastern Conference seven-eight game has Orlando Magic at Philadelphia 76ers laying one and a half with Joel Embiid's status uncertain after his emergency appendectomy last Thursday in Houston, and both hosts take Orlando regardless of the Embiid ruling, with Sleepy J calling the Magic his dark horse pick for the whole postseason given the injuries to Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane that masked how good this team can be, and Manji adding the under at 220 and a half as his favorite play using the historical trend of play-in opener combined totals never exceeding 223 points since the format began in 2021. The Wednesday Western Conference nine-ten elimination game has Kawhi Leonard's Clippers hosting Stephen Curry's Warriors at minus four and a half, with Sleepy J torn between his heart wanting the Warriors and his head unable to lay points against Golden State, ultimately passing and watching for the number to move to five or five and a half, while Manji identifies this as the toughest game on the board and lands on the under at 220 and a half given both teams play half-court basketball and neither runs. Official best bets are Sleepy J with Andrew Wiggins under 14 and a half and Manji with the Blazers-Suns under 217 and a half. Use promo code PLAYBALL20 at Pregame.com for twenty percent off MLB packages before midnight tonight April 13th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Monday. Munaf Manji and Uncle Diamond Dave Esler open Monday's Cash That Ticket on the Straight Outta Vegas AM feed with a well-earned Masters hangover, recapping Rory McIlroy's historic back-to-back green jacket win at Augusta National where the Northern Irishman became just the fourth player ever to win consecutive Masters titles joining Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods, holding on through a dramatic final round where Cameron Young briefly seized the lead and Justin Rose surged into contention before McIlroy finished at 12 under par, one shot ahead of Scottie Scheffler, with a four-way tie for third including Young, Rose, Tyrrell Hatton, and Russell Henley. Dave went roughly break even on his Masters exposure and both hosts note the NHL and NBA regular seasons are done with playoffs now underway. The focus quickly shifts to a loaded Monday MLB card where Dave and Munaf work through four games starting with Miami Marlins at Atlanta Braves where Eury Pérez's walk rate and home run vulnerability make the Braves first five innings team total over one and a half at minus-155 Dave's preferred play against a lineup that just erupted for 13 runs on Sunday, then Cleveland Guardians at St. Louis Cardinals where Gavin Williams and his electric 2.04 ERA make the Guardians first five innings money line at minus-115 at South Point the cleanest low-juice bet on the board despite the overnight travel factor, with the Gavin Williams outs issued prop sitting at 17 and a half on DraftKings as a secondary angle, then Texas Rangers at the Athletics in West Sacramento where Brent Rooker is on the injured list with an oblique strain and Luis Severino is making his first home start of the season having issued five walks in each of his last two road outings, with Munaf going Rangers money line at minus-126 on DraftKings behind Nathan Eovaldi off a strong bounce-back start and a career ERA of 2.76 against this Oakland organization, and finally New York Mets at the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 10:10 Eastern night cap where the Mets arrive in a brutal cross-country travel spot after being swept at home by the Athletics and David Peterson brings a 6.14 ERA against a Dodgers lineup ranked first in slugging and second in batting average against left-handed pitching this season. Official best bets are Dave Esler with the Braves first five team total over one and a half and the Guardians first five money line, Munaf Manji with the Texas Rangers money line. Last chance to use promo code PLAYBALL20 at Pregame.com for twenty percent off MLB subscription packages — the code expires at midnight tonight eastern time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Friday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Thursday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Wednesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Tuesday Michigan is a national champion, Uncle Diamond Dave Esler cashed a 5-to-1 futures ticket, and there are still three MLB games, two NBA matchups, and a Masters first-round leader portfolio to get through before the week really starts. That is the agenda on this Tuesday, April 7th edition of Cash That Ticket on the Straight Outta Vegas AM feed, hosted by Munaf Manji alongside Dave Esler. The show opens with a full championship recap of Michigan's 69-63 victory over UConn, breaking down how the Wolverines won despite shooting just 38 percent from the floor and going 2-of-15 from three-point range, leaning instead on a 25-of-28 free throw performance and a 36-22 edge in points in the paint. The guys walk through the sharp money signals on the spread, why the total was never going to go over once the pace was established, and why UConn fans have no real basis for their free throw complaints given how the Huskies are built offensively. On the MLB side, Munaf and Dave break down three Tuesday games starting with the Dodgers and Blue Jays in Toronto for Game 2, where Yoshinobu Yamamoto faces Kevin Gausman in what projects as a low-scoring first-five-innings battle worth playing both from the under and the Toronto run line. Dave makes the case for Gausman's historically dominant start to 2026 as genuine value against the Dodgers price, flagging Max Muncy as the one hitter with the résumé to hurt him, and declines to lay the full-game number on Los Angeles given continued bullpen concerns. The second game sends the Mariners to Arlington, where George Kirby carries a jaw-dropping career record against the Rangers into a matchup against Nathan Eovaldi, who has allowed 11 earned runs in fewer than nine innings this season. Munaf names Kirby and Seattle at minus-120 as his official best bet of the episode. The third game features Cristopher Sánchez and the Phillies visiting Oracle Park against Robbie Ray and a Giants team that has gone 1-and-7 since opening weekend, with Dave pointing to the first-five Phillies run line and the under as his preferred structure in a pitcher-friendly park. The NBA card covers Boston hosting Charlotte in a game that means considerably more to the Hornets, who are scrapping for seeding in a tight play-in race, while the Celtics essentially mark time before a more consequential Thursday matchup with New York. Both hosts like the under, backed by back-to-back regular-season meetings that stayed well beneath their respective totals and top-ten defensive ratings from both clubs over the last ten games. The late game puts a streaking but arguably fraudulent Rockets road run to its toughest test yet in Phoenix, where the Suns are a strong home team and both Dylan Brooks and Jalen Green will be facing former employers with something to prove. Dave takes Phoenix, and Munaf agrees. To close, Dave delivers the week's first Masters betting segment with first-round leader plays for Thursday's opening round at Augusta National, building a plus-money portfolio anchored by Bryson DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler as proven top-five finishers in round one, Adam Scott at an eye-opening 50-to-1 given his current form on approach shots and first-round scoring, Chris Gotterup at 39-to-1 in his Augusta debut, and Jason Day at plus-475 to finish in the top ten after round one, a number Dave considers well below fair value given Day's documented history at this course. Dave's official best bet for Tuesday is the Yankees to win the first five innings against Oakland on the run line at minus-140 with Cam Schlittler dominating a lineup that has never faced him. Use promo code PLAYBALL20 at Pregame.com for 20 percent off, including MLB season all-access packages. Good through April 13th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Monday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji talks betting for Friday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Thursday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Wednesday Cash That Ticket opened the month of April the same way it closed March — with winners. Host Munaf Manji and co-host Uncle Diamond Dave Esler delivered Wednesday's episode on the Straight Out of Vegas AM feed riding a 2-0 night from March 31st that pushed their season best-bet record to 54 wins and 35 losses, 60.6 percent, plus 14.5 units, a pace Munaf openly challenged any daily sports betting podcast to match. Dave added important framing: every pick on this show goes out before noon Eastern, before injury reports are finalized, before the market has all available information, a degree of difficulty the raw numbers don't reflect but the results consistently reward. The episode covered four games across three sports, beginning with the College Basketball Crown quarterfinals at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, where Dave quickly identified the transfer portal as the dominant storyline in the Oklahoma-Colorado matchup, with Colorado missing three players to opt-outs including freshman Isaiah Johnson, their leading three-point and free-throw shooter, and a 7-foot-4 starting center who had scored 22 points in two of their last three games. Dave called the full-game under 166 the play in a lopsided game where neither team has reason to push pace or run up score, and also floated the Colorado team total under as a derivative. For the late quarterfinal at 10:30 Eastern, Dave took Minnesota to upset Baylor, citing Baylor's 13th-ranked conference defense and turnover-prone offense while expressing greater belief in the Gophers' motivation under coach Medved. On the MLB side, Dave endorsed Joe Ryan first five innings in the Twins-Royals matchup, calling the Royals nine-run total through four games evidence enough that Kansas City won't solve Ryan tonight, while Munaf locked in the Twins -120 full game as his primary play and flagged the under 8.5 as a lean. The featured matchup was the Guardians visiting the Dodgers with Gavin Williams, a pitcher carrying a 13.03 career ERA against Los Angeles and a six-walk performance in his season opener, lined up against Yoshinobu Yamamoto coming off a 0.38 ERA across four April starts in 2025. Dave took the Dodgers first five innings on the run line, while Munaf made the Dodgers full-game team total over 4.5 at -135 his official best bet, citing Williams' walk tendencies and the Dodgers' pending offensive breakout as the two forces converging tonight. Dave's NBA best bet was the Knicks team total over 121.5 against Memphis, an intangibles call built on the argument that New York, sitting three games behind Boston for the two-seed, cannot afford to drop a fourth straight game to a Grizzlies team that plays no defense and has no season left to play for. Munaf endorsed it as a textbook get-right spot. Listeners who want in on Uncle Dave's MLB season-long package can visit Pregame.com and use promo code PLAYBALL20 for 20 percent off anything on the site, including already-discounted season-long subscription packages, through April 13th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Tuesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Friday. The Cash That Ticket podcast returns for a stacked Friday edition covering three MLB games from the opening weekend card, two confirmed Elite Eight matchups with live lines, and a pair of best bets to send listeners into the weekend with a plan. Host Munaf Manji and veteran handicapper Uncle Diamond Dave Esler open the show on a high note, with Dave having cashed his Pregame.com dollar best bet the night before on Texas covering against Purdue, a play he held firm on despite the line moving from 7 to 8.5. The MLB conversation starts with the A's visiting Toronto, where Dave makes the case against Kevin Gausman at a steep price point, citing shaky early-season splits and a structural argument against backing home teams on the run line when they might not bat in the ninth. Both hosts like the under 9 on a cold night with the Rogers Centre roof closed, and Munaf takes the plus-money A's given Luis Severino's strong road profile from last season. The Royals and Braves provide the pitching matchup of the night, with Cole Ragans facing Chris Sale in Atlanta. Dave leans into Royals history against Sale, highlights Salvador Perez's success in career at-bats against the veteran lefty, and notes Sale's pattern of allowing three or more earned runs in his first four outings of a season. Both hosts agree on under 7.5 and find value with Kansas City at plus money. The third game sends the Guardians to Seattle for Game 2 of a series Cleveland opened with a 6-4 victory. Dave challenges the assumption that the Mariners automatically bounce back, pointing to taxed bullpens on both sides, George Kirby's history of being managed carefully on innings, and Gavin Williams' quiet effectiveness against Seattle in limited head-to-head history. The Guardians run line in the first five innings is the preferred play. The show then shifts to Saturday's Elite Eight, with Dave and Munaf covering both confirmed games. Iowa gets the points against Illinois, with both handicappers respecting the familiarity factor between Big Ten programs that already played a close game this season, and cautioning against overreacting to Illinois' dominant win over Houston. Arizona gets the stronger endorsement, with Dave breaking down Purdue's difficult tournament path, its free throw-dependent win over Miami, and a late scare from Texas before facing a Wildcats team that dropped 109 on Arkansas and holds a top-three defense nationally. Best bets close the episode, with Dave backing Michigan team total under 91.5 based on the weakness of the Wolverines' previous tournament opponents, and Munaf laying the points with the LA Clippers against the Indiana Pacers behind Kawhi Leonard's recent form and Darius Garland's fit alongside him in the backcourt. Use promo code MVP15 at Pregame.com for fifteen dollars off any picks package, valid through April 6th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Thursday. Manji and co-host Uncle Diamond Dave Esler arrive on Thursday, March 26th locked in and ready to work. Dave opens the episode acknowledging a backdoor cover loss on Auburn from Wednesday before confirming the OKC-Boston play cashed and kept the audience in the green, then pivots immediately to a live golf position on Marco Pence at 43-to-1 at the Texas Children's Open, tied for the lead through seven holes before the afternoon wind picks up. Before the first baseball pitch is handicapped, Munaf drops significant league news, as two NBA expansion franchises have been formally approved by the Board of Governors, one heading to Las Vegas and the other returning professional basketball to Seattle for the first time since the SuperSonics departed for Oklahoma City. The NBA breakdown centers on the most meaningful game of a thin three-game Thursday slate, the New York Knicks traveling to Charlotte to face the Hornets as 1.5-point home favorites with a 222.5 total. Dave makes the case for a first-half under, noting that Charlotte's recent win streak has been built almost entirely against bottom-of-the-standings teams and at home, while Munaf backs the Knicks plus the points after pointing out the Hornets hold a 19-24 record against above-.500 opponents this season. The real work of the episode is Opening Day itself, and the hosts cover three full games with methodical depth. Red Sox at Reds features Garrett Crochet at -163 against Andrew Abbott, and both hosts identify the first-five under and the Cincinnati run line as the sharper plays rather than following the public money on Boston, with Dave raising valid concerns about relying on Crochet's strikeout prop at 7.5 given Opening Day pitch count management. Tigers at Padres brings Tarik Skubal to Petco Park to face Nick Pivetta, and Munaf delivers a detailed case for the Padres plus odds, citing Pivetta's seven shutout innings against Detroit last April, his 0.99 WHIP and 8-1 home record in 2025, and a San Diego bullpen built to close games. The evening game at Dodger Stadium pits Zach Gallen against Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Dave and Munaf both gravitate toward unders, with an alternate first-five total of 5.5 as the cleaner entry, while Munaf notes that Yamamoto's career home ERA of 1.33 against Arizona and his tendency to finish Opening Day starts around 72 to 90 pitches complicates any strikeout prop that requires a deep outing. Dave closes with his best bet on the Orioles-Twins first-five under 4.5, crediting Trevor Rogers and Joe Ryan as two elite early-innings arms, and uses the moment to reflect openly on a 2025 baseball season where his top-rated plays were profitable but overall volume worked against him, committing to a tighter, sharper approach in 2026. Munaf's best bet is the Padres money line at +113. The episode closes with a mention of the Pregame.com season-long baseball package available at $15 off with promo code MVP15, and a preview of Friday's episode covering Sweet 16 results, more MLB action, and a look at the NBA standings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Wednesday. Munaf Manji and Uncle Dave Essler came ready to work on the March 25th edition of Cash That Ticket, rolling through three sports with sharp opinions and sharper picks. The NBA led the charge, with Boston hosting Oklahoma City in what Munaf called a potential Finals preview between two of the three true title contenders in the league alongside San Antonio. The Celtics entered as 2.5-point home underdogs with a total of 218.5, and both hosts landed on Boston, with Dave targeting the Celtics team total over 108.5 at DraftKings as the cleanest angle in the game. The reasoning was airtight. In the previous meeting, Boston shot just 40 percent from the field, got out-rebounded, and still hung 102 points on Oklahoma City, all without Jason Tatum and Derrick White. With both players back in the lineup and Nikola Vucevic the only notable absence on the Boston side due to a right ring fracture, even a modest shooting improvement pushes the Celtics comfortably past that team total. Dave noted he had personally bet Boston the day prior at plus 3.5, a number that had since moved to 2.5, and while he acknowledged the rematch rarely produces the same result, he could not argue against the value Boston represented at home. Munaf was equally firm, backing the Celtics outright and noting their defense would keep Oklahoma City in check on the other end. The Friday Sweet 16 card came next, and the hosts worked through all four matchups in order. Duke opened as a 6.5-point favorite over St. John's with a total of 141.5, and Dave made the case for the Blue Devils while freely admitting a Red Storm victory would not shock him at all. His reasoning centered on Jon Shire's year-over-year improvement at Duke, a neutral-site resume that included wins over Kansas, Arkansas, and Florida, and the fact that St. John's only loss since January came to UConn, a team that plays a style nearly identical to Duke. Rick Pitino received full credit as perhaps the best in-game coach in the sport, but Dave believed Duke gets it done. Michigan State and UConn served up the most creative betting strategy of the episode, with the Huskies laying 1.5 points on a total of just 135.5. Dave went two-part, backing UConn in the first half and the first-half under, then floating the idea of grabbing Michigan State at an improved live number at halftime. Both teams ranked in the top 13 nationally in defensive efficiency, and Dave was emphatic that fading Tom Izzo in the final minutes of a close game is simply not something he is willing to do. Munaf liked Michigan State for the full game and agreed that patience at halftime represented the sharpest path to the number. Iowa State laid 4.5 against Tennessee with a total of 138.5, and both hosts landed on the Cyclones despite the number feeling short. The case against Tennessee was statistical and pointed. The Volunteers turned the ball over more than every SEC team except one, struggled to score consistently, and were poor from the free throw line. Iowa State led the entire Big Ten in turnovers forced, and the teams that beat Tennessee this season did exactly what the Cyclones do best. The Josh Jefferson injury loomed over the entire conversation, but even accounting for his potential absence, neither host could build a convincing case for Tennessee covering. Alabama and Michigan closed the college card with the biggest total on the board at 174.5 and Michigan laying 9.5. Dave went Alabama with the points, crediting the Crimson Tide for handling better tournament competition than Michigan despite missing their suspended star Holloway, while questioning whether the Wolverines had truly been tested after wins over Howard and St. Louis. The MLB segment landed just as the season officially opened, with both hosts aligned on the Boston Red Sox at plus 320 in the AL East, pointing to Garrett Crochet as a Cy Young candidate and the division's best overall rotation. The AL Central produced a split, with Munaf backing Detroit at plus 110 and Dave preferring Kansas City at plus 225 behind Bobby Witt if not the Tigers. Both agreed Seattle wins the AL West at even money, with Dave pitching a creative parlay structure combining the Mariners and Tigers with the Yankees, Red Sox, or Blue Jays for returns between 11-to-1 and 16.5-to-1. The best bets closed the show cleanly. Dave went Auburn minus 9.5 over Nevada in the NIT, citing 12 wins over top-20 opponents for Auburn against a Nevada team whose last true road win came January 17th at Air Force, the 345th-ranked program in college basketball. Munaf laid the big number with San Antonio minus 16.5 against Memphis, pointing to four recent Spurs wins by margins of 28, 1, 15, and 25 points, three of which featured 130 or more points scored, against a Grizzlies squad getting blown out by 39 and 23 in back-to-back outings. Dave endorsed the pick and suggested 16.5 might actually be light. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Munaf Manji and Dave Essler talk betting for Tuesday. Munaf Manji and Uncle Diamond Dave Esler roll through a multi sport betting card on Tuesday March 24 2026, starting with the final MLB season win total in their run and ending with Sweet 16 Thursday leans and two best bets, the MLB focus is the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers at 102.5 wins, with Munaf recapping last seasons 93 win profile plus a strong run differential and Dave centering the handicap on one key question, whether a loaded roster stays locked in across the regular season, the discussion turns into practical futures logic around pitching depth, lineup protection, and how a team with elite talent can survive injuries and variance, both hosts ultimately lean to the Dodgers over despite acknowledging it feels like the obvious side, then the show pivots to March Madness with Dave explaining why he prefers betting the second weekend when matchups are clearer and situational factors matter more, on Thursdays Sweet 16 slate Dave leans Texas plus 6.5 against Purdue and also sees a path to the over 148.5, citing free throw rate and defensive concerns, he follows with Iowa versus Nebraska where Nebraska is a small favorite at minus 1.5 and the total sits low at 133.5, Dave cautions against overreacting to recent results, sticks with his pre tournament view, and leans Nebraska with interest in the over because close games can turn into late free throw scoring, the best bet segment closes the episode with Dave taking St Josephs versus New Mexico under 152.5 in the NIT based on pace control expectations perimeter defense turnovers and free throw limitations, while Munaf stays in the NBA and plays Hornets team total over 123.5 versus the Kings by targeting a matchup where he expects Charlotte to keep scoring against a defense that has been giving up points Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices